Understanding Spirit Hosts

[Mangaroca]

Hi,

I want to use up to 3 Spirit Hosts in a friendly 2,400pts. game (you'll lol me when I say it's against the Skaven and their magicks....) and I'm trying to figure out how to deploy them. I've never used them before and therefore I need your help.

Option 1:
3 ranks, 1 file = only 4+1 attacks but potential 2 extra combat res points so less crumble?

Option 2:
1 rank, 3 files = massive 12 attacks but no extra combat res points?

Option 3:
3 separate units of Hosts = IMHO the weakest setup but much praised around here...

Please, explain which is the correct way to use them.

Also, what's a "charge redirector"??? DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS ONE: I FOUND A VERY NICE ARTICLE ABOUT IT (which kind of explains why Option 3 is so desired): http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2012/01/wfb-tactics-art-of-redirection.html

Thanks!

 

[Alastor]

It seems you've answered your own question. Option 3. You have three roaming spirit hosts to either force the enemy to deal with an ethereal unit they might not even be able to hurt and get held up, or redirect them.

It's not about attacks with spirit hosts as much as causing a headache for your enemy, allowing you to get in flank/rear charges with your blender units when they mess up.

 

[Mangaroca]

Thank you! I will try this tonight... >:]

 

[Sception]

you don't get combat res for ranks that are only one wide. The reason to consider deep units of one file wide in spirit hosts (or bat swarms for that matter) is to have more wounds to absorb static res without widening your frontage and allowing more incoming attacks.

Of course, for spirit hosts, that only matters if the opposing unit has magic attacks.

For hosts, I use single base units on the flanks, and use them to disrupt and hassle enemy flanking units like small cav units, melee skirmishers, archers, and the like. You also might throw some inbetween unit in your battle line, and throw them forward to disrupt non-magic, non static res units that might otherwise beat on your units. Warsphinxes come to mind.

Their attacks are very weak, even when you have 12 of them. paying more points for more attacks is generally not worthwhile. More wounds might be - I could see units of 2 to 4 - but most of what medium to larger size units can do could be equally well done by single bases, and larger units are more vulnerable to magic shooting than multiple smaller units.